Double Delight: Matching Cuff Bracelets

December 9, 2010byCynthia Sliwa

Bracelets are ubiquitous as a component of style this season, and stacks of bracelets provide a opportunity for creative expression. For an impactful yet controlled variation on the look, consider wearing a pair of identical cuff bracelets.

Matching cuffs are being shown in designs ranging from sleek and simple to lavishly ornate. The August 2010 issue of Glamour magazine featured a boxy dress by Céline coupled with very simply designed boxy cuff bracelets by the same designer.

Here’s an ad from Céline that ran in the September 2010 issue of Vogue featuring what appears to be the same cuff bracelets seen in Glamour.

Another pair of very simple design cuff bracelets, these by Alexis Bittar, are used to adorn a casual ensemble with jacket from VPL by Victoria Bartlett and a skirt and tank from Calvin Klein Collection pictured in the November 2010 issue of Marie Claire. The necklace shown is also by Alexis Bittar.

Most pairs of cuffs shown are not as streamlined in design. For example, the October 2010 issue of Allure added pizzazz to a jersey dress by Victoria Beckham with a pair of crystal and brass cuffs by Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel.

From the October 2010 issue of Harper’s Bazaar comes this photograph with a pair of very wide cuffs from Herve van der Straeten accessorizing a an ensemble of vest, sweater, pants, belt, and boots by Ralph Lauren Collection.

The October 2010 issue of Elle magazine recommends a pair of Swarovski crystal-detail cuffs from Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci to give a denim jacket a “wild child” look.

From the November 2010 issue of Town & Country comes this ad from Dennis Basso, featuring a pair of heavy cuff bracelets.

An extreme version of the double cuff look appears in the October 2010 issue of Elle magazine, featuring chain mail cuffs from Yazbukey for Zac Posen worn with a dress from MaxMara and hat from Burberry. The “gemstone cone rings” are from Eddie Borgo.

I especially like the styling of this silk brocade dress with shoulder details by Carmen Marc Valvo Couture, worn with a pair of bracelets from La Vie Parisienne and earrings (a pair, naturally) from House of Lavande, in a photo from the October 2010 issue of O the Oprah Magazine. The openwork style of the bracelets makes them lighter and more wearable than some of the heavy solid cuffs shown above.

The look of matched cuffs is the epitome of symmetrical style, and it best suits a woman who is herself very symmetrical in her face and form. Many if not most people are not entirely symmetrical. If a pair of bracelets has the effect of making you look lopsided not in a good way, wear one cuff or stack both bracelets on one wrist.

Do be sure to take a look at yourself wearing the double cuffs in a full-length mirror. The cuffs usually hit right at about the level of your upper thighs and visually they add a horizontal line at that placement. If you do not wish to emphasize and add horizontally to that spot, consider whether a mix of bracelets on one wrist would be a more flattering look.